Perris Press Release

New Mercado Apartments are "Mighty Impressive"

Perris Mayor Daryl Busch strolls through the Mercado Apartments during a tour this week: “Mighty impressive.”

Perris Mayor Daryl Busch led a contingent of elected officials and senior administrators on a tour of the Mercado Apartments, a 60-unit, $14-million affordable housing project set to open within 60 days.

The group saw first-hand the amenities in the complex at D and Eighth Streets, including solar panels, theatre-seating in the television room, a swimming pool, built-in barbecues, game room and on-site services like after-school tutoring and English-as-a-second-language classes.

The Mercado Apartments features one, two and three-bedroom units ranging from 849 to 1,115-square feet. Because they are considered affordable housing, rents generally are below market value, ranging from $422 to $829 per month.

“Mighty impressive,” Busch said as he toured one of the
three-bedroom units. “I wish I had an apartment as nice as
this when I was living in apartments.”

Playground equipment for children is among the amenities at the Mercado complex, which is expected to open within 60 days.

Busch was joined by City Councilwoman Joanne Evans, City Clerk Judy Haughney, City Manager Richard Belmudez, Assistant City Manager Ron Carr, Deputy City Manager Darren Madkin and several other managers from various departments. The Mayor said the new complex represents more than 60-new housing units; it continues the transformation of the historic D Street corridor, a Perris thoroughfare and gateway from more than 100 years.

The City last week broke ground on the $28-million Perris Station Apartments, an 84-unit complex for senior citizens. Many businesses along D Street have received new exterior facades through redevelopment agency loans and grants during the last two years. The exterior of the art deco Perris Theatre has been renovated and the Bank of Perris building reborn as a City archive.

The City recently dedicated its Big League Dreams sports complex and the newly restored Senior Center/Teen Center. A new interchange
at I-215 and Fourth Street has remade the major east-west entrance
into Perris and removed numerous stop signs and choke points.

Perris City Councilwoman Joanne Evans says the Mercado Apartments will become “great places to raise a family.”

Work continues on a new Downtown Fire Station set to open later this year. Ground-breaking on a new aquatics center also will take place later in 2012. Construction on a park next to the Mercado Apartments could begin this summer.

City officials forged a relationship with a private developer, the Agoura Hills-based AMCAL Multi-Housing and Las Palmas Foundation, which helped provide funding for the Mercado Apartments. City redevelopment agency money also help fund the project. The Mercado Apartments feature Mediterranean-style architecture and views from third-floor balconies provide panoramic looks at much of the City. An on-site property manager will live at the complex to provide additional support for tenants.

“This apartment complex will bring people to Downtown Perris, provide quality—and I mean quality—housing for our City and it will
help the residents themselves,” Busch said. “This is another
great addition to our City.”

Perris City Manager Richard Belmudez (left) and Assistant City Manager Ron Carr check out the view from a third-floor balconey.

Evans, a former Marine, compared the Mercado Apartments to the Naval housing she lived in at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and San Francisco.

“Those were poverty gulch!” she said. “These are amazing. These apartments will become great places to raise a family.”
Property manager Yennie Valladares said about half of the units already have been leased. She expects the other half to be leased by the time Mercado officially opens. Valladares said the apartment management staff is waiting eagerly for that day.

“Things are happening in Perris,” she said. “This area will grow and change and expand. Change is coming and it’s for the best.”